The earth slowly stirred awake, and the first ray of morning light broke the silence of the night.
Ethan had just returned from his morning workout.
After taking a shower and changing into his wizard’s robes, he tried to wake Harry and Ron, who were still sleeping in, so they could go to breakfast together.
“Harry, Ron, get up.
It’s time for breakfast.”
Ethan was doing his best to drag them out of bed one by one, but every time he managed to pull one of them up and went over to the other’s bed, the one he had just dragged up would flop limply back down.
One after another.
“This is never going to end.” Ethan’s patience gradually curdled.
He stood with his hands on his hips, panting slightly, helplessly staring at the two boys sleeping as soundly as infants.
“In that case, don’t blame your big brother for being inhuman.”
He went to Ron’s bed first, delivered two crisp slaps to Ron’s face, then shook him back and forth with all his might.
“Ron?
Ron, what’s wrong?
Ron?”
“Mmm… what happened?” Ron asked blearily, eyes half-open.
“You were having a nightmare and shouting.
You scared me half to death.”
“Ah… yeah, I was.
I dreamed Mum was furious and kept slapping me in the face… Hiss, what a realistic dream.
It really feels like I got slapped twice.” Ron gradually woke up, sat up, and rubbed his face as he recalled the “nightmare” he had just had.
“Good, you’re awake.
Hurry up, wash your face, and get dressed, or you’ll miss breakfast.”
Ethan went over to Harry’s bed next, leaned down, and whispered like a devil into Harry’s ear, “Harry, wake up.
Your aunt’s family came to school to take you home, and your cousin plucked your owl bald.”
Harry shot upright with a jolt.
“What did you say?” Harry’s face went pale, and his voice even trembled slightly.
“Nothing.
I’m waking you up.
Hurry up and wash up and get dressed.
It’s the first day of school.
You don’t want to go to class hungry, do you?”
Ethan half-pushed, half-shoved the two of them into the bathroom, then let out a long breath at the door.
“An elder brother is like a father.
An elder brother is like a father,” he told himself.
“Don’t stoop to their level.
They’re the protagonists.”
Thanks to Ethan, Harry and Ron sat down at the long table in the Great Hall on time, listlessly eating breakfast.
“You two don’t look very well.
Didn’t sleep properly last night?” Hermione asked with concern from across the long table.
“Sort of.
Had a nightmare.
Luckily Ethan woke me up,” Ron answered absently as he added sugar to his porridge.
“It’s nothing.
I just had a bit of a shock first thing in the morning.
I’ve recovered now,” Harry said, cutting into his fried egg with his knife and fork, still looking shaken.
Beside them, Ethan, the culprit behind it all, quietly sped up his assault on the bacon and ham on his plate.
His conscience hurt a little, but not much.
“Flutter, flutter, flutter.”
“The mail’s here.” Ron looked up at the ceiling.
With the sound of flapping wings, hundreds of owls flew into the dining hall through the small windows in the ceiling, circling above the tables until they found their owners and dropped letters or parcels in front of them.
Black Cat also flew over to Ethan, though it had not brought any mail.
It rubbed against Ethan’s hand, pecked twice at the ham on his plate, then flapped its wings and flew away.
“Your owl is so cool,” Ron said enviously as he opened his letter.
“I have to share one owl with my brothers.
Except Percy.
Mum bought him a new owl as a reward for becoming a Prefect.”
“It’s fine.
You can use my Hedwig too,” Harry said from between them.
Hedwig was his snowy owl.
“You can use my Black Cat too, if you want,” Ethan said generously with a wave of his hand.
“Thanks.
I appreciate it, really.
I just want something that belongs only to me.” Ron smiled at them, but there was bitterness in it.
“My textbooks, my robes, even my wand are all my brothers’ old things.”
“Hey, can I have a look at your newspaper?” Harry hurriedly changed the subject.
Ron nodded.
Harry unfolded the newspaper and looked at the front-page headline.
Ethan also leaned in, though he was looking at the advertisement squeezed between the two pages.
“Hey, look!
Someone broke into Gringotts illegally!” Harry exclaimed.
Ron and Ethan both turned their eyes to the headline Harry was pointing at.
Harry began reading the article aloud.
“Within a single day, Gringotts vaults were attacked twice.
Based on a preliminary assessment of traces left at the scenes, the attackers appear to have been two separate groups, both believed to be unknown Dark Wizards.
“The goblins in charge of Gringotts confirmed that there had indeed been break-ins, but repeatedly stressed that nothing had been stolen.
Vault 713 and Vault 12, which the intruders searched, had both already been emptied earlier that same day.”
“A Gringotts goblin spokesperson stated: ‘We cannot disclose what was stored in the vaults.
It would be best not to interfere in this matter.'”
Harry finished reading, looked up, and said, “Strange.
Vault 713.
That’s the vault Hagrid and I went to.”
“What was inside?” Hermione asked.
“Just a small cloth package.
I don’t know what was in it either,” Harry said, shaking his head.
Ethan frowned as well.
Vault 12.
That was the vault he and Professor Fig had gone to yesterday, the one hiding the secret passage to the ruins of ancient wizards.
Why had it been attacked?
Had they happened to be after the money inside?
Or were they targeting the ancient magic?
Ethan buried those questions for now, planning to ask Professor Fig about it later and get to the bottom of things.
“Sorry to interrupt you all.
Please come with me for a moment, Mr.
Ethan.”
Professor McGonagall’s voice sounded behind Ethan.
Ethan quickly put down his knife and fork, stood, and gave Professor McGonagall a respectful nod.
“Yes, Professor.”
Ethan greeted the trio, stepped over the bench, and followed Professor McGonagall out of the hall.
“Excuse me, Professor.
Is there something you need me for?”
Professor McGonagall stopped in the corridor outside the door and turned to look at Ethan.
“It’s about your classes, Mr.
Ethan.
Given your unusual circumstances as a fourth-year entrant, you’ll need to work twice as hard from here on if you want to catch up with the other students in your year.
After a thorough discussion with the Headmaster and the other professors, we have prepared a customized course program for you.”
“Here.” Professor McGonagall handed him a piece of parchment.
“This is the schedule we’ve arranged for you.
For the first week, you’ll attend classes with the first-years so that you can get a basic understanding of the Hogwarts curriculum.
Remember to stay behind after class.
Each professor has prepared additional assignments for you, and through them, you should be able to catch up quickly.
Professor Fig has been praising your exceptional talent to me without pause.”
“That will be all for now.
Today, you’ll attend Transfiguration Class and Defence Against the Dark Arts Class with the first-years.
Be sure to get to the classrooms on time.
Transfiguration Class is my class.
If you are late, even though I am Head of Gryffindor, I will not hesitate to deduct points.”
Professor McGonagall gave Ethan a meaningful smile, then turned and left.
Ethan looked at the packed schedule in his hand and let out a wry sigh.
“What a ridiculously full school life!”